The amount of money received as tuition fees by South Africa’s 23 higher education institutions rose by 9,2%, from R16 billion in 2012 to R17 billion in 2013. This is according to data analysed for Stats SA’s latest Financial Statistics of Higher Education Institutions release. The University of Johannesburg recorded the highest increase (29,9%) in tuition fees received, from R979 million in 2012 to R1,3 billion in 2013, followed by the University of Venda (posting a 27,9% increase, from R229 million to R293 million). Five institutions recorded a decrease in the amount of tuitions fees collected, with the University of Zululand collecting 29,4% less in 2013 compared to 2012 (from R296 million to R209 million).

Figure 1 shows that the University of South Africa (UNISA) collected the most amount in tuition fees in 2013 (R2,8 billion), followed by the University of Pretoria (R1,5 billion) and the University of the Witwatersrand (R1,3 billion).

Figure 1: Higher education tuition fees: 2013

The other significant source of income for higher education institutions was in the form of grants from the Department of Higher Education and Training – this increased by 10,4% from R21 billion in 2012 to R23 billion in 2013.

Compensation of employees for higher education institutions increased by 10,4% (from R23 billion in 2012 to R26 billion in 2013), with UNISA (Figure 2) paying R3,1 billion in 2013 to employees, the University of Cape Town and the University of Pretoria both paying R2 billion each, followed by the University of KwaZulu-Natal (R1,8 billion).

Figure 2: Higher education compensation: 2013

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